Cap for dispensing containers



Nov. 6, 1934. A. P. GAINER CAP FOR DIVSPENSING CONTAINERS Filed Sept. l, 1933 INVENTOR m P. m

ATTORNEYS ?atented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES T OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to animproved cap for various dispensing containers for powdered or pulverized materials, such as, dental powders, face powders, and various condiments, for example plain salt, celery salt, and pepper, as well as other dry products in pulverized form, such as pulverized nutmeg, sugar and our, and the like, Where small amounts are required and are best to be kept' in sealed airtight condition within the container.

From the prior art and particularly in this line of endeavor there have been produced two part caps or tops, Where one part is capable of rotation for registering perforations through which the pulverized or powdered material may be dispensed, and in some instances slides have been provided where two sets of perforations are brought into registration for also dispensing of pulverized or powdered material. In the go present invention it is the aim to provide an improved construction of cap, wherein a slide,y

though it is free for guiding movement, is so :mounted as to render the cap relatively airtight in order to preclude atmospheric moisture.

Another purpose is to provide a sliding guided perforated closure, so tensioned, that it will easily and very quickly return to its initial position with its perforations out of register with those of theV cap proper, the mounting and sliding of this closure being such as to preclude atmo'spheric moisture from reaching the pulverized material in the container, and more especially such material as salt.

A still further purpose is to provide chambers on the cap interiorly thereof for housing the yieldable or tensioning means, and in such Wise as to permit the connections, such as piston rods carried by the slide or closure to cooperate with the tensioning means, Vin such way as to reduce 40 to a minimum the possibility of the pulverized material entering the chambers, in fact such possibility being substantially nil.

A still further purpose is to provide a device of this kind wherein the tensioning means or springs are not exposed to the material to be dispensed, and furthermore to permit the tensioning means to occupy a space substantially as thin as the space to be occupied by the slide or closure, hence enabling the lcap to be easily and very cheaply made, and yet serve the purpose for which it is intended.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no way limitative, and that while still keeping within the scope of the invention, any desired modication of details and proportions may be made in the construction of the appliance according to circumstances.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing and claimed.

In the drawingzf Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a container showing the improved cap as applied.

Figure 2 isa vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.' 65

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2 more clearly showing the construction of the slide closure,I its guide as well as the chambers for the tensioning means.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the slide and its ten- 70 sioning means.

Figure 5 is a detail view of a disc which fits into the cap relatively spaced from the top wall of the cap, and showing the means by which the slide or closure is guided and the tensioning means are mounted.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing 1 identies a conventional type of container, which may be any size, any shape and constructed of any suitable material. In the present instance it is the aim to construct` the container of glass thesame as all other salt and pepper shakers. It is obvious that the container may be large enough to hold pulverized nutmeg, sugar, flour, or any product of a pulverized or pwdered nature to be dispensed by shaking the container.

Mounted on the container by the usual threaded connections as identiiied at 2 is a cap 3, and 90 it is the aim to construct this cap and all of its attendant parts from monel metal even including the tensioning element.

The top wall of the cap is provided with perforations 4, and fastened by electric welding or any other suitable means'as at 6 interiorly of the cap in relative spaced relation thereto as identified at 5 to provide a space is a disc 7, which also has perforations 9, which register with the perforations of the top Wall of the cap. The upper face of this disc when being die stamped is formed with parallel ribs 8 constituting guide walls for the slide closure 9a (which is provided with perforations 10), so that the slide closure may be moved in a direction such as will cause the register of its perforations with those of the disc and the top'wall of the cap, for the purpose of dispensing such pulverized material to be dispensed. The ends of these ribs as identified at 11 extend into transverse ribs 12 and 13. The remote ends 11o ofthe transverse ribs are integrally connected with additional ribs 13a which are parallel with the ribs 8, and togetherwith the transverse ribs constituting chambers for the reception of the tensioning springs 14. These tensioning springs are formed from at blade-like material which forms an integral part of the slide closure. Obviously this at blade-like, material is in undulated form, and the convolutions thereof act on the principal of an accordion.. In other words when the slide closure is moved against the action of these convolutions the slide closure is un'- der suflicient tension as will cause the closure to be restored to its initial position with its perforations out of register with those of the disc and the top wall of the cap. The connection 15 (which is made of the same material as the slide closure and integrally connected therewith) reciprocates through slots or, openings 16 in certain of the transverse ribs, said connection 15 acting like a piston rod, and due to the fact that the disc and the top wall of thecap proper are spaced just sufficiently to permit the slide closure to move and yet have a relatively close iit for the closure, atmospheric moisture is precluded against entering between the disc and the top wall of the cap, and eventually reaching the interior of the container.

One end of the slide closure has an extension arm 17 which passes through a guide opening 19 in the cylindrical wall of the cap at apoint relatively close to the top wall of the cap and terminates in a down turned thumb piece 20 which is of concave formation as shown at 21 to conform to the ball of the thumb, obviously by which the slide closure may be actuated against'the tensioning means and cause the closure to move to such position that its perforations will register with those of the disc and the top wall of the cap, when it is desired that the contents of the container are to be dispensed.

The ends of the ribs 8 adjacent the transverse ribs 13 are connected by a transverse rib 22, which not only closes one end of the space in which the slide closure operates, but also acts as an abutment to limit the slide closure in its movement in one direction when registering the perforations. The cylindrical wall of the cap limits the slide closure in its movement in the opposite direction, that is, when returning to its initial position. 'Ihe upper edges of all the ribs 8, 12, 13, 13a and 22 are V-shaped and engage in corresponding depressions 24 of the under face of the top wall of the cap, thereby precluding atmospheric moisture to a minimum as'well as the passage of the pulverized material. l

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is:

1.' I'hecombination with a container body, of a cap for closing said container body, a top wall of the cap proper having a plurality of perforar--v tions, a disc fastened within the cap body in a relatively spaced relation to the top wall of the cap to cause a space to be formed, said disc having perforations which register with those in the top wall of the cap, a slide closure mounted for sliding movement in said space and provided with perforations normally out of register with those of the disc and the top wall of the cap, said disc having guide members for the slide closure, said disc on its top face having additional guide members parallel with the first guide members and spaced therefrom thereby causing chambers to be formed, tensioning means mounted in said chambers and provided with connections to the slide closure, and means carried by the slide closure and projecting through the cylindrical wall of the cap and terminating in a thumb element whereby the slide closure may be actuated against its tensioning means.

2. The combination with a container body, of a cap for closing said container body, the top wall of the cap having perforations, a disc fastened Within the cap in relative spaced relation to the top wall thereof causing a slide closurereceiving space to be formed, said disc having perforations in register with those of the top Wall of the cap,

a slide closure mounted in said space for reciprocating movements and provided with perforations normally out of register with those of the disc and the top wall, the upper face of the disc having parallel guide walls for the closure, said upper face of the disc having additional guide walls spaced from the remote sides of the rst guide Walls and in parallelism thereto, transversev Walls also on the disc and connecting the remotely spaced and the first guide walls causing chambers to be formed, tensioning means in said chambers, means connecting the tensioning means and the slide closure for holding the latter in position where its p rforations are normally out of register with th se of the top Wall and the disc, and means carried by the slide closure and projecting through the cylindrical Wall of the cap for actuating the closure.

3. In a closure for containers, comprising a cap body proper, the top Wallof the cap having perforations, a disc fastened within the cap in relative spaced relation to the top wall thereof causing a slide closure receiving space to be formed, said disc having perforations in register with those of the top wall of the cap, a slide closure mounted in said space for reciprocating movements and provided with perforations normally out of register with those of the disc and the top Wall, the upper face of the dischaving parallel guide walls for the closure, said upper face of the disc having additional guide Walls spaced from the remote sides of the iirst guide Walls and in parallelism thereto, transverse Walls also on the disc and connecting theremotely spaced and the rst guide walls causing chambers to be formed, tensioning means in said chambers, a piston rod connection integrally connecting the slide closure and the tensioning means and reciprocating through openings in certain of the transverse walls for collapsing said tensioning means, and an extension arm carried by the slide closure and projecting through the cylindrical Wall of the cap and terminating in f 

